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Prioritise full LG autonomy for national devt., expert advises FG (Page 88)

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

A United Kingdom-based Economist and Public Policy Analyst, Mr Daramola Omoyele, has called on the Federal Government to prioritise full autonomy for local governments as a non-negotiable prerequisite for national development.

Omoyele, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, described functional local governments as a sustainable path to national security and economic recovery.

He said while the 1999 Constitution recognises 774 local government areas, they currently exist “more in theory than in practice.”

According to him, local governments in the country, as presently constituted have remained the weakest link in Nigeria’s democratic structure.

He attributed Nigeria’s pressing challenges—ranging from rural insecurity to decay in primary healthcare—to direct consequences of the “systemic disappearance” of governance at the grassroots.

Recalling the earlier years of the Nigerian federation, Omoyele noted that citizens once felt the direct impact of the third tier of government through projects that touched rural lives.

He said that in the past, local councils were responsible for grading and construction of feeder roads and culverts, maintenance of primary healthcare centres, functional primary schools and provision of potable water.

“Nigeria now operates a peculiar form of federalism. Local governments exist in the constitution but not in practice. The reason is simple: they do not control their own finances.

“Funds allocated to local governments from the Federation Account pass through state governments under the State Joint Local Government Account system.

“In practice, many state governments deduct, delay or fully control these allocations. A council that cannot access its own revenue cannot plan projects or provide services,’’ he said.

The expert observed that the “disappearance” of functional local administration had has led to a nationwide crisis of abandoned health centres, deteriorating classrooms and the collapse of rural infrastructure across the country.

He noted that Nigeria’s development challenge was not only about national policy, but an implementation problem.’

Omoyele said that national reforms would be struggling to deliver results when governance at the grassroots failed, as policies on agriculture, poverty reduction, education, taxation and healthcare required functioning local institutions to succeed.

“If the level of government closest to citizens is weak, every national reform becomes harder to implement,’’ he stated.

While describing the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for local governments as a significant legal milestone, he, however, expressed the regret that it had been facing stiff implementation barriers.

The barriers, according to him, include: administrative delays in opening independent council accounts, institutional uncertainty about financial procedures and continuing oversight arrangements from state governments

“The resistance is predictable because financial control over local governments gives state governments significant political and economic influence.

“Losing control of local councils also means losing political structures that influence elections and patronage at the grassroots.

“The same structural weakness affects education and health services. Primary education is legally a local government responsibility yet financially controlled elsewhere,’’ he said.

To rectify the structural flaws, the economist proposed direct disbursement from the federation accounts to local governments and constitutional protection of local councils as an autonomous third tier of government.

To ensure transparency, Omoyele recommended monthly publications of the budgets and allocations of local governments.

He noted that legal decisions alone would not change governance unless they were enforced by institutions.

Omoyele also suggested that primary education, sanitation and primary healthcare should be fully administered at the local level.

Emphasising that Nigeria does not lack policies but functioning local institutions, Omoyele said that until governance works at the local level, national governance will continue to struggle.

“National development does not begin from ministries. It begins from communities.

“Strengthening local governments will improve security, education delivery, tax compliance and public trust. It will also reduce pressure on federal and state authorities by restoring responsibilities to the level where citizens actually live.

“If Nigeria genuinely wants lasting security and sustainable development, the country must return governance to the grassroots and allow local governments to function as real tier of government,’’ he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

OBE/ISHO/WAS

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Edited by Yinusa Ishola/’Wale Sadeeq

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Prioritise full LG autonomy for national devt., expert advises FG (Page 88)